The child was chained to a lamppost.

On January 22, 2018, seven white teenagers in the United Kingdom “allegedly tied up and whipped a Black pupil in a ‘mock slave auction,’” according to Bath Chronicle. The students still attend the school.

The Bath Chronicle reports, “white teenagers chained a fellow pupil to a lamppost and whipped him with sticks, calling him extreme racist names harking back to the slave trade.” The name of the school and the student who was assaulted have not be released to protect the child’s identity. Sadly, the perpetrators were briefly suspended and allowed back at the school. Three of the teens were expelled “but were allowed to return when the board of governors overturned the headteacher’s decision.” The racists teens are back at school alongside the victim. Their reason for expelled the students allowed back in the school? The school believes their actions are “in line with statutory procedures.”

The school did not tell parents about the hateful incident until today — when the Bath Chronicle decided to publish their story. The school sent a message to parents and staff this morning, saying in part, “We have today become aware of media interest in an incident which took place in January and involved a group of established friends and related to a single incident of unacceptable behaviour within the school grounds. A full investigation was instigated in line with both internal school procedures and Department of Education requirements, including contact with the police. You can be assured that the school has taken this incident exceptionally seriously and that our absolute priority was, and remains, that the right path is taken for all those involved as well as the wider school community.” The incident was taken “exceptionally seriously”? A child is chained and whipped and the teenagers are still at the school?

Some parents are outraged, one father said, “It just sends the wrong message out to the children. I’ve got a mixed-race son. He’s thinking ‘they’re going to stick up for the white kids but we get in trouble if we do something wrong.’”

Looks like the “Make America great again!” philosophy has reached the UK.